The Efficiency for Access Coalition hosted its first “Global Market Development Roundtable” in Nairobi, Kenya on 17-18 April 2018, bringing together over 40 industry leaders to discuss opportunities for advancing solar water pumping technologies markets.

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A full 40% of the global population relies on agriculture as its main source of income, and many live without access to traditional energy infrastructure. Highly efficient solar water pumps (SWPs) can deliver modern irrigation and drinking water services to the nearly 500 million small-scale farmers worldwide.

Scaling the commercial market for SWP technology will make modern irrigation more accessible and cost-effective, increasing farm-related incomes and improving educational, nutritional, and economic outcomes.

Improving farm productivity has a direct impact on poverty alleviation. Studies show that a 10% increase in agricultural productivity for smallholder farmers in Africa leads to a 7% reduction in poverty.

SWPs also present a far-reaching opportunity to reduce labor burden on women and girls who commonly bear the brunt of agriculture and water-ferrying work in rural areas.

The Efficiency for Access Coalition is scaling up and bringing together a range of institutional efforts that use energy efficiency as a tool for driving rapid and sustainable progress in delivering clean energy access to the world’s poor. Among products with the greatest potential impact, highly efficient solar-powered water pumps promise to change the lives of millions.